“Colonel… Morgan, isn’t it?”
Rowen didn’t confront him on the spot, even though he knew what Morgan had been up to. After exchanging a slightly distant but still friendly military salute with Morgan, he pointed to the prisoners who had been escorted down the stairs to the port by soldiers.
“These are merchants from the East Blue’s White Gull Chamber of Commerce. They were ambushed and taken hostage by the Alvida Pirates on their way here. I need your help in arranging their accommodation.”
“Yes!”
Morgan’s heart tightened. Alvida, with a bounty of 5,000,000, was considered a significant figure in the East Blue. The fact that she appeared in these waters was surprising. After all, this was his jurisdiction!
If it required a direct intervention from Headquarters, there was a suspicion of dereliction of duty on his part as a branch Colonel.
Fortunately, Rowen didn’t seem to hold him accountable.
Morgan nodded and quickly called over his advisor, instructing him to accompany the members of the White Gull Chamber of Commerce to the base for rest.
But before he could even catch his breath, Rowen suddenly brought forward a young lad with pink hair from behind him. In Morgan’s bewildered gaze, he said,
“And there’s this little guy, a resident of Shells Town. He went out to sea for fishing a month ago and was accidentally captured by Alvida. Now, I suppose I’m… returning him to his rightful owner?”
“I… I’m not a piece of merchandise!” Koby muttered quietly, looking up at Morgan’s stern face. He instinctively shut his mouth.
In a town like Shells Town, where everyone knew each other, Morgan had heard about a boy named Koby who had gone missing while fishing at sea a month ago. However, he hadn’t paid it much mind. After all, going out to sea in this world was perilous. Even if one didn’t encounter pirates or sea beasts, the weather alone could be deadly.
So, Koby’s case was hastily closed as a disappearance, and the townsfolk, fearing for him, had no choice but to accept this outcome.
But what he hadn’t expected was that the boy had actually survived! Not only did he survive, but he was even rescued by Vice Admiral Soryu!
Just imagine, if he had accidentally let something slip, everything he had done in Shells Town would surely have been exposed!
Immediately, Morgan’s eyes flashed with hostility as he glanced at Koby.
However, he quickly averted his gaze, and a forced smile appeared on his stern face as he opened and closed his iron jaw. “Thank you, Vice Admiral Soryu. I’ll take good care of him!”
“You, take him back.”
“Yes!”
A soldier who understood the situation came over and took Koby. He held him as if he were cradling a doll, covering his mouth, and then swiftly ran towards the base.
Throughout this process, Koby wore a bewildered expression. It wasn’t until he realized that he was being forcibly taken by Morgan that he attempted to struggle and call for help.
However, at this moment, Rowen didn’t have the time to deal with him. He exchanged a glance with Vice Admiral Momonga and nodded subtly, without making a sound.
Morgan thought he was concealing it well, but to a powerhouse like Vice Admiral Momonga, that trace of Killing Intentions was blatantly obvious. Even without using Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki), he could discern it clearly.
There was a problem with the 153rd Branch! A significant problem!
But considering Rowen’s behavior on the ship, Vice Admiral Momonga didn’t make a move. He knew that they lacked evidence at the moment, and it wasn’t the right time to act.
Emmmm… Naturally, this also had to do with their personalities.
Rowen was indifferent to whether there was evidence or not. As long as Morgan didn’t do something foolish out of desperation, he couldn’t be bothered to take action. After all, if they needed to follow procedures, his subordinates could handle it, and he would be more than happy to stay at ease.
As for Vice Admiral Momonga, he was simply kind-hearted.
If it were the South Blue division, with formidable figures like Onigumo and Doberman, who were known for their fierce reputation, Morgan would have met his end the moment he emanated Killing Intentions.
Shells Town, Main Street.
Marine soldiers in white uniforms spread out along the streets to clear the way for the two guests from Headquarters. The doors of the shops on the street were tightly shut, and pairs of eyes hidden in the shadows looked like startled small animals, casting fearful glances at the two leaders.
Those glances made Vice Admiral Momonga uncomfortable, reminding him of the slaves he had seen in Mary Geoise with the Dragon’s hoof insignia imprinted on them.
The sorrow and despair in their eyes were deeply moving.
Morgan…! Vice Admiral Momonga’s expression remained unchanged, but he had already passed a death sentence on Morgan in his heart.
Without even looking at Rowen, one could guess what he was thinking. Things that would have results soon didn’t need to be rushed. Some soldiers who had previously made secret arrangements quietly separated from the group, slipped into the alleyways, and emerged wearing ordinary clothes.
An invisible undercurrent surged within Shells Town. Morgan, suspicious and cautious, looked around, suddenly feeling a wave of anxiety.
—
Branch 153, Underground Dungeon.
Clang!
The heavy iron gate slammed shut. A burly man with his sleeves rolled up, walked into the cell, wielding a leather whip.
“Speak! What did you tell them?!” The burly man barked with a menacing tone. Although he wore a Marine uniform, he exuded an air more fitting of a pirate.
“I… I don’t know!”
Koby cowered in the corner, trembling. Morgan’s fearsome reputation was known to everyone in Shells Town. He knew that no matter what he said or didn’t say, his fate was unlikely to be a pleasant one. Yet, from somewhere within him, he summoned the courage to straighten his neck and shout out loud.
“Yo-he! Such courage in such a small body!!”
The Robust Man was infuriated. He couldn’t believe that this tiny thing, barely the height of his thigh, dared not to show him any respect. He felt it was necessary to give him a good lesson.
He fetched a weighty book, tied Koby, who was struggling, to a wooden post that lay flat like a cross, and then, under Koby’s terrified gaze, placed the book against his chest. He took down a large hammer from the nearby wall.
Sizzle… Sizzle…
The heavy hammer, forged from Pure Gold, left a white mark on the ground. Koby stared at the hammer, which was nearly the same size as his head, and his entire body was drenched in cold sweat in an instant.
“I’ll ask you one last time, what did you tell them?!”
“I… I don’t know!!”
Koby was on the verge of tears.
“Very well, you’ve got spirit!”
The Robust Man’s anger turned into a laugh, but immediately his eyes widened, and he raised the hammer. “But I don’t like people with spirit!”
Thud!
The hammer came down with a rush of wind, ruthlessly.
Koby felt a tremendous force land in his abdomen and suddenly felt like his intestines were about to snap. He opened his mouth, and oxygen rushed out of his lungs with a burst, taking quite a while for him to recover from the excruciating pain. He let out a piercing scream.
“Ah!!!”
“Speak quickly!!”
“I don’t know!”
“Still being stubborn?!”
Thud!
He spat out a mouthful of congealed blood, staining the instruments of Justice red.
“Will you talk?!”
“I… I don’t know!”
“You little brat!!”
The Robust Man angrily raised the hammer, wishing he could smash him to death on the spot. But recalling Ensign’s instructions, he reluctantly lessened his force a bit and then struck again.
By this time, Koby had mostly run out of breath, tears and mucus mixed with blood dripping down his cheeks. As he watched the hammer continue to descend, Koby’s mind wandered.
“Is this… Is this how I become a brave Marine soldier?”
It wasn’t that Koby was being stubborn, but that Rowen truly hadn’t asked anything. However, Koby was still afraid that if he said something, it might let Morgan escape punishment. So he decided to keep his mouth shut.
Although he hadn’t interacted with him much, he understood. The Marine Vice Admiral was a prosecutor dispatched by Headquarters, specializing in cleaning up the black sheep of the Marines.
Clang!
The resounding impact echoed through the quiet cell, but the expected intense pain didn’t come. Koby raised his head and saw an iron rod reaching in from outside, skillfully catching the hammer. Outside the cell, an unfamiliar tall figure grinned at him.
“Little guy, you’ve got guts!”
The big guy gave Koby a thumbs-up, and then with a single hand, he effortlessly flung the Robust Man away. Then, under the latter’s horrified gaze, he grabbed the cell door and pulled ruthlessly.
Creak… Snap…!
The steel cell creaked, emitting an ear-piercing sound. Before Koby lost consciousness, he saw the Robust Man, who had inflicted violence upon him, being kicked squarely in the solar plexus. He slumped against the wall, motionless.
(End of this chapter)
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